Hide it under a bushel, NO, I'm going to let it shine;
Hide it under a bushel, NO, I'm going to let it shine;
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
What is this little chorus referring to? It's referring to our light, or our testimony in front of the world. We are going to refuse to hide it under the bushel, we are going to let it shine!
Matthew 5:14 - 16 "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
We are to be a light to the unsaved, pointing them to the Lord. We should stand out in this dark world of sin. People should be able to tell by our lives that we are children of God. However, maybe there are days when your light is not shining so brightly...or maybe no one can see it at all! What's the problem, are you hiding your light under a bushel? What type of bushels do you having hanging around in your life? I got to thinking about all the different bushels that we can be hiding our lights under.
The bushel of COMPAINING
I've often wondered what I sound like to other people some days. What are they hearing in my speech? Is it praising God or am I'm stuck in the complaint department? Our speech can be a bushel that hides our light from those around us.
Psalms 77:3b "I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed."
When we have a complaining, unhappy attitude, our eyes leave the Saviors face and we become overwhelmed with the storms of life that we are facing. As was mentioned in an earlier devotional, we are admonished to give thanks in everything. How can we give thanks if we have a complaining spirit? It's only with God's help that we can break the sinful habit of complaining and let our lights shine brightly once again in this dark world.
Philippians 2:14 & 15 "Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."
The bushel of SHAME
Are you ashamed of the Lord? Are you ashamed to let people know by your actions that you are a Christian? What do you do when you are in a restaurant...do you skip blessing your food, or do you bow your head slightly and pray quickly hoping no one notices? I have a copy of the famous painting by Norman Rockwell; A young boy and his grandmother are in a diner for lunch, and they are asking the blessing on the food. Everyone around is watching them. They are letting their lights shine brightly.
Maybe at work things come up, and because your ashamed to let your co-workers know that your a Christian, you stay quiet. In Matthew chapter 26:69 - 75 we read the account of Peter who had a bitter battle with shame. Three times he denied that he knew Jesus. In verse 75 we read, "And he went out, and wept bitterly." Peter realized that he had been ashamed of being associated with the Lord. Are we guilty of being ashamed of being called a Christian and being associated with the Lord?
Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
1 Peter 4:16 "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed: but let him glorify God on this behalf."
The bushel of DESPONDANCY
Are you a person given to despondency? Does life drag you down until your tripping over your bottom lip? How can we tell people that God will meet our every need, when we go around acting like God is dead? King David fell into despondency different times.
Psalms 69:2 "I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me."
Psalms 77:4b "I am so troubled that I cannot speak."
Yes, David had some very down times...but did he stay in that depressed state? No, he knew the secret. He got back into the Word of God and meditated and communed with his Heavenly Father.
There is a story about a man of God who got very depressed at one point. Finally one morning his wife came down to breakfast dressed all in the black of mourning. He asked her who had died. She replied that because of his actions she was sure that God had died! He quickly saw the sin of his depression. There is an easy cure for this ailment.
There is a story about a man of God who got very depressed at one point. Finally one morning his wife came down to breakfast dressed all in the black of mourning. He asked her who had died. She replied that because of his actions she was sure that God had died! He quickly saw the sin of his depression. There is an easy cure for this ailment.
Psalms 77:6, 11 & 12 "I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember Thy wonders of Old. I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings."
Ephesians 5:19 & 20 "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord: Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ:"
The spirit of despondency will flee when you start singing and praising the Lord! Count your blessings, see what the Lord has done for you!
The bushel of WORLDLINESS
Do you live like the world? Is your speech, dress, lifestyle no different then your unsaved neighbors, family and co-workers? A child of God should stick out like a sore thumb in a crowd of unbelievers. What light is there in our lives that would point the unsaved to the Lord if we live the same as they do?
Ephesians 5:8 "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth: Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."
Our lives need to be different. When my son was in high school ( I didn't homeschool him for the last three years of school )he worked in the Student Council Store at noontime. Before classes began for the afternoon he would take any money into the school office. He got to know the Principal, Vice Principal and secretary fairly well. One Friday night at Youth Group he got kicked in the eye in a sledding accident. By Monday he was sporting a pretty decent black eye. When he took the money into the office at noon they asked what had happened. My son, who is very much a joker, with a straight face he replied that he had gotten into a fight over drugs! They looked at him and proceeded to laugh. His manner of life in front of them was so opposite of the story he had just told, that they didn't believe him. Our lives should shout to all around that we are different, we are Christians.
These are just a few of the bushels that can hide our lights from the world. I'm sure that you can easily come up with quite a few more. We need to sing this little chorus to ourselves, reminding us that, "NO, I'm going to let it shine!" I think that it's time we have a spiritual bonfire in our lives and throw these bushels that are hanging around into the fire.
Ephesians 5:8b "Walk as children of light:"
I was walking along in the darkness,
I didn't know which way to go;
Then the Lord, He turned the light on,
He changed my life and saved my soul.
Now I live for just one purpose:
To let the Lord shine through me;
If His love can shine on others,
Then His Spirit can set them free.
Let my light shine in the night-time,
Let it shine all day through;
Let it shine, shine for Jesus;
May it shine, shine on you.
Dallas Holm
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